wagon, the seats being removed, disported all the merry group, Mr. King
alone having the dignity of a chair.

Deacon Brown, delighted with his scheme of bringing the wagon over as a
surprise for the Peppers to take a drive in, was on the side of the
narrow foot-path, chuckling and rubbing his hands together. "You won't
have to drive so easy as you used to, Ben," he called out, "this
fellow's chirk; give him his head. Sho! what you goin' that way for?" as
Ben turned off down the lane.

"To Grandma Bascom's," shouted two or three voices.

"Joel's over there," sang out Polly.

"We couldn't go without him, you know," chirped Phronsie, poking a
distressed little face up from the straw heap.

"'Twould serve him just right if we did," said Van. "He's a great chap
to stay over there like this."

"No--no," cried Dick in terror, "don't go without Joel; I'd rather have
him than any of you," he added, not over politely.

Phronsie began to cry piteously at the mere thought of Joel's being left
behind.

"He wanted to see Mr. Beebe," she managed to say, "and dear Mrs. Beebe.
Oh! don't go without him." So Mr. King made them hand her up to him, and
at the risk of their both rolling out, he held her in his lap until the
wagon, stopping at the door of Grandma Bascom's cottage, brought Joel